Utsuroi in Japanese Architecture and Landscape
Utsuroi: changing space Utsuroi, another Japanese spatial concept that causes the self/space boundary to blur, is present throughout Japanese architecture and gardens. Utsuroi means gradual and inevitable change from one state to another. It can also refer to reflection or projection of one thing onto another. Both meanings suggest that nothing is reliable, and everything is […]
Space for Well-being: Chrysanthemum Show Opening Lecture at Smith College
Yoko Kawai was invited to talk on “space for well-being” to open the Chrysanthemum Show at the Botanic Garden of Smith College. It was an honor and excitement to address the enthusiastic audience of 200 people! The Fall Mum Show has been the popular tradition at the Botanic Garden since the early 1900s. Yoko used […]
Healthy and Creative: Recent Design for Daikin U.S. New York Office
As a founding member of Mirai Work Space Alliance, we have recently designed a new office space for Daikin U.S. Corporation in New York. This renovation project aimed to enhance the company’s brand image and provide a healthy and creative environment to its employees by applying the idea of “Space for Well-being“. Brand image and […]
Are Online Meetings Noisy?
Imagine that you are working in the office trying to make a deadline. But your coworker starts on-line meeting with his computer next to your desk. His voice is loud for the mic to catch it. “Dumb it! He is so noisy!”. You must be irritated with this situation. Noise causes stress. Luckily, to mediate […]
Cat’s Eye View of Japanese Architecture vol. 5 – Perishable Landscape
Do you know what colored maple leaves and cherry blossoms have in common? The answer is that both are perishable. Their colors, red of maple and pink of cherry, last only for a few days. Japanese people cherish them because of their short lives. Yes, I said “because of”, not “in spite of”. The logical […]
